Comprehensive Community-Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) board chairman Dr Wilbroad Slaa speaks at the launch of an advocacy campaign on fistula treatment at Mnazi Mmoja grounds in Dar es Salaam yesterday. On the left is First Lady Salma Kikwete. (Photo: Omar Fungo)

The CCBRT (Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania) fistula project which is supervised in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare aims to eradicate fistula condition by 2016, First Lady Mama Salma Kikwete said yesterday.

She said: “People should come out especially those who have this condition so they could get good treatment at the right time and also I congratulate CCBRT for helping those who are in need without paying any money.”

Fistula is an unusual hole between the urinary bladder and the rectum. This problem is caused by obstructed labour for lack of care at a right time.

The First Lady was launching at Mnazi Mmoja in Dar es Salaam an awareness campaign for treatment of fistula in Tanzania. The target of the campaign is to have fistula units at district and regional hospitals across the country.. Among the main effects of this condition is a mother losing a child at a delivery time, losing control of urine and rectum largely due to lack of quality health care at the right time on delivery time and long distances she travels to the health care centre.

She said the health of mothers is a very important agenda to her and her institution WAMA (Wanawake na Maendeleo) that women are pushing hard to fight fistula.

“This is one of the challenges in the health sector; it is my call at all times upon private institutions and development partners and the public to commit themselves to the effort of eradicating fistula, “added the first lady..